AJ in Wonderland
by shiki94
Summary: AJ Lee never expected her career in the WWE to evolve to where it's gotten today. So while she's stuck waiting at Mr. McMahon's office one day, she sees one of her best friends-just not the way she's used to seeing him. As she follows him, she goes on a journey that will lead her to meet new people and to learn some things about herself.
1. Through The Door

**I'm mentally kicking my own ass for having started another story when I've got three in progress, but I was feeling so excited to start on this. I'm blending together two of my most favorite things in the world-Alice in Wonderland & pro wrestling. So I hope all of you readers will enjoy this. R & R please. =) Please note that I own none of the Superstars and Divas used in this story. The only thing I do own is Alex.**

* * *

"Oh man. I wish Vince would hurry up with whoever he's in there talking to. I'm ready to get this meeting over and done with," AJ said, sighing and laying her head against the wall behind her.

She had been told to come in for a meeting with Vince about being put in a storyline with John Cena, where the two would end up feuding with Vickie Guerrero and Dolph Ziggler. But honestly, and she could never bring herself to admit it to either Vince or Stephanie or even any of her friends, she just had days where she wished she could just say that she wanted nothing else to do with the push that she was getting. Everything that she had to do on-screen, whether it was having to be with one guy after another or having to turn her back on two of her best friends in the world, was putting a damper on the energetic spirit she was known for having. However, according to Vince, since the WWE Universe seemed to be loving the 'crazy chick' that she had become known for being, she was in high demand to be kept in the spotlight, which AJ thought was unfair when there were other Divas that'd either make better love interests than her or be better for this role.

Looking down at her phone and scrolling through her pictures, she came across a picture that never failed to help cheer her up: it was a picture of the first time she and Kaitlyn had met CM Punk off-screen, thanks to her newest friend, Alex Hardy. That day, the four had spent a lot of time talking about stuff that only geeks could carry on for hours and hours about. She couldn't help but laugh as she thought about all of the debating that Alex and Punk kept doing and, breathing a sigh, she wished she could actually show the side of her that got her so over with fans to begin with and let that side of her carry her up in the WWE, not turning into a bigger whore than most prostitutes. She wondered why it was she couldn't be allowed to at least be herself, but she never really felt bold enough to ask, so meekly, she always accepted what was pushed on her to have happen.

When she first joined the WWE and worked matches on FCW, she always had dreams about when she would get called up to be a part of the main roster, so when she got the call to be on the all-Divas season of NXT, she was so excited that she'd get to compete in matches that'd be broadcasted all over the world for people to see. Even though she didn't win her respective season, what she had accomplished was helping introduce a new kind of Diva for people to see, which was the geeky type that still had fangirl moments when meeting other roster members she had only gotten to see on TV. But, as soon as all of the romantic storylines began, as each branch ended, another would start and she was silently hoping they could either speed through each one or creative would just lose interest and end it prematurely, but this wasn't the case. And here she was getting ready for her talk about kayfabe boyfriend number 5, which was the polar opposite of how she had felt her career was going to be evolving.

After checking the time on her phone, she had noticed that she had been waiting outside of Vince's office for 25 minutes. Groaning around a yawn that had slipped out, she leaned her head back on the wall and started to doze off in hopes of killing time until it was time for her meeting. She hadn't even been sleeping for a good 15 minutes when she heard a familiar voice grumbling.

"God dammit! I can't believe this! Of all days to break, my fucking watch has to break on today of all days."

Jerking her head forward, only to feel a slight bit of pain which was alleviated by rolling her head around a few times, she saw that it was one of her close friends heading her way. Opening her mouth to say 'Hi' to Punk, her jaw dropped immediately upon seeing that something was oddly off with Punk-he was wearing a black and red striped short-sleeved turtleneck shirt, a pair of black skinny jeans with red suspenders hanging down, a pair of black boots, and to top it off, he had a pair of black bunny ears and a small black bunny tail. Seeing Punk like this made AJ immediately start to laugh as she tried calling out to him.

"Punk, hey Punk. Come over here for a sec. I wanna talk to you about something," AJ said, in between giggles.

Turning to look at AJ, Punk said "I don't really have the time to stop and talk to random people and bystanders. I'm late for an important meeting."

"Oh come on Punky. You at least have time to talk to one of your best friends, don't you?" AJ asked.

"No! Now I'd better be high-tailing it out of here before I get even later than I already know I am. Now goodbye!" Punk said, before running off.

"Punk wait!" AJ called after him. At this point, she was torn between staying in her seat and waiting for her meeting to start or chasing after Punk and asking him about where he was off to in such a hurry. So, curiosity winning over her, she got up from her seat and decided to take off after Punk while she could still see him. She kept shouting after Punk trying to get him to stop, but he didn't seem to hear her.

The hall the two were running suddenly came to an end as Punk ran through the door at and closed the door behind him before AJ could slip in after him. Before AJ could think twice about slowing down and stopping she crashed into the door, which caused a string of cuss words to fly out of her mouth.

"Damnit that hurt like a bitch!" AJ shouted, rubbing her forehead and her chest, where she crashed into the door.

After getting herself together, she walked into the room that Punk walked into only to find that there was nothing in there aside from a table.

"Now that's just weird. Where could Punk have gone?" AJ mused out loud.

"If I can have your attention please," a voice called up to AJ.

Looking around to try to find out where the voice had come from, AJ didn't see anyone else in there with her until she heard the voice again, saying "Down here." Bending down to look around she came across an odd doorknob-the thing that made it odd was the fact that it sounded like and had the face of Michael Cole.

"Michael Cole? What are you doing looking like a doorknob?" AJ asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Trying to get your attention. Now I'll bet you're wondering where it is that the person you were after went to, am I right?" Cole asked.

"Yeah. Did you see where he went? Because there is no possible way that he can be in this room," AJ said.

"He went through the door of course," Cole said, laughing.

"Well, that's a lot of help considering that I'm way too big to fit through you," AJ said.

"Just look up on the table and you'll find a box and a bottle," Cole said.

Doing as he said, AJ stood to look on the table and found the items he was talking about. Her curiosity won over her and she went to open the box to find that it was full of cookies that were all frosted with the same thing written on them, 'Eat Me'. Taking a cookie, she ate it in three bites and immediately started to feel funny. Before she knew it, she had started to grow until her head had hit the ceiling of the room.

"Whoa! I'm even taller than Khali is now! But I'm way too big to even get out of the door I came in through!" AJ said.

"Try the bottle now that you've had a cookie," Cole shouted up to her.

"The bottle?" AJ asked. Looking down at the table, she picked up the bottle that was next to the box of cookies and, looking at the tag that said 'Drink Me' and opening the top to the bottle, she took a drink and found that the drink tasted sweet, like a Mountain Dew Voltage. Soon after she had swallowed it, she felt herself start to shrink until she was at a high enough level to open the door. Walking over to the door, Cole took a look at her and said "Now you're the perfect size to fit through me. Just twist my nose and you can pass through." Doing as he said, AJ reached out and twisting the doorknob, she opened the door, only to be greeted with a sight that had her in wonder.

Taking a look at what laid before her, AJ said "I don't think I'm in Connecticut anymore," in wonder.

**Get ready to AJ on her journey in this story. =)**


	2. The Tweedles

**Enjoy AJ's entrance? Now the trip (and all of the fun) can really begin...**

"I don't think I'm in Connecticut anymore," AJ said, as she took a look around the garden that laid just beyond the entranceway of the door.

As she looked around, she saw that there were so many things around that fascinated her. Whether it was the large flowers that seemed to move around without a breeze to blow them or the various animals that scurried around, be it flies that looked like rocking horses, owls that had necks like accordions, or even ducks that looked like bicycle horns, she was in wonder over everything that happened to cross her path.

"I can stop and admire the wildlife later. I've got to try to find Punk," AJ said.

She followed the path that stretched on in front of her as it cut under numerous large mushrooms and even taller trees. She took the chance to admire some of the animals that seemed to want to have contact with her, only for them to scurry away the minute she tried reaching out to them.

"Now if I was Punk, where would I go in this crazy place?" AJ mused out loud, unaware of the fact that she was being followed from a distance.

After spending almost 30 minutes following the path she was on, AJ was getting tired.

"Man, whoever knew trying to keep up with a straight edge bunny could wear a person out? I need to just sit down for a few minutes and rest a bit," AJ said, as she took a seat on a hollow tree trunk.

As AJ thought about all of the different places that Punk could've gone, her followers were stealthily making their way through the trees behind her, careful not to make a sound. When AJ had finished thinking over possibilities of where to go to look for Punk, she got up and proceeded to go back along the path she was walking down as her followers made their way closer to her. While AJ looked around taking in more of her surroundings, her followers stepped in front of her, blocking her way to get further down the path. When AJ least expected it, she bumped into her followers and fell back, landing on her butt.

"Ow! Why the hell do I keep bumping into things today? And who in the name of Kitana builds walls or plants trees in the middle of a path?" AJ asked, before looking up to see that she was wrong and her guess was way off base.

Instead of seeing trees as she thought she might, she instead saw that it was two more of her friends, Ted Dibiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes, only they looked different than how she was used to seeing them-both were dressed in identical outfits; black fitted caps, plaid polo shirts with black bow ties, dark blue skinny jeans, high-top black Converses, and the two were both staring down at her. Seeing her friends like this caused AJ to burst out laughing and she fell into a bigger fit of hysterics than when she had seen bunny Punk. When she could finally catch her breath, she said "Wow, you two look so ridiculous! And I thought that Punk looked funny. Cody, Ted, why are you both dressed like that?"

"Cody? Ted? No, no. You must have us mistaken for two other people. For you see, we are the Tweedles," the two said, at the same time.

"The Tweedles?" AJ asked, confused.

"Yes the Tweedles," the two said again.

"I'm Tweedle Dee," Ted said.

"And I'm Tweedle Dum," Cody said.

"Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum? What cute names," AJ said.

"We thank you kindly ma'am. And may we say that you're pretty cute yourself," the Tweedles said.

Blushing, AJ looked down and said "I'm not really all that cute. You two are making me blush so much over hearing that."

"It's our opinion and we're entitled to it, whether people agree with it or not. And to people that don't agree, we don't care. As long as we got to tell you, that's all that matters," the Tweedles said.

"Thanks, you two. I'm just not used to hearing that before. Well, I've heard it from my friends before, but I think they just say that to help cheer me up when I'm upset," AJ said.

"Your friends sound like such nice people, ma'am. Why don't you tell us about them?" the Tweedles asked.

As AJ launched into telling the Tweedles about all of her friends while the trio walked down the path, the two men listened intently, laughing whenever AJ told them about something funny they did and nodding their heads in wonder at some of the things she said they've had the chance.

"Wow. Your friends are really some amazing people. And a girl as nice as you deserves to have friends as great as they are," the Tweedles said.

"Yeah. But lately I haven't really been liking myself as a person," AJ said somberly.

"And why is that?" the Tweedles asked.

"Well, you see, it's the company I work for, I guess you could say we're like a big group of actors and actresses, I've had to deal with being portrayed as a crazy girl that goes around having one boyfriend after another and quite frankly it's something that's making me angry with myself," AJ said.

"Why not try saying that you want nothing else to do with what you have to do now? I'm sure your boss will understand when you say that you just want a break," the Tweedles said.

"Because I'm not really all that good when it comes to doing stuff like this. I'm petrified of trying to tell my boss about stopping what he has in mind for me," AJ said.

"We're sure he would understand. After all, I'm sure he wouldn't say no to a face as pretty as yours," the Tweedles said, causing AJ to start blushing again.

"Knock off what you keep saying! I'm not even all that great of a person! Now, I'm going to take off and go back to my search for Punk! I bid you both farewell and good day sirs!" AJ said, before stomping off.

"Farewell and good day!" Tweedle Dee yelled.

"Make sure to watch where you walk!" Tweedle Dum yelled.

"And make sure to keep an eye open on your surroundings!" the two yelled at the same time, as they linked arms and skipped away down the path the opposite way.

Looking back, AJ saw the Tweedles skipping away and said "Such weird guys. I just wonder if anyone else here in this crazy place is as weird and odd as they were," as she continued in the direction that she was headed. As she continued down the path she was on, she came across a group of people running around in a circle while there was a person in the middle, standing on a large rock, singing something about what they were doing being called a caucus race. Before her curiosity lead her to try to get into the swing of the 'race', she decided to go on down the path she was on to continue her search for Punk. Halfway through her walk, she started humming the song she had heard during the 'race' and kept up with that tune as she continued her trek deeper and deeper into this strange new world.

"Damn it! How hard could it be to keep up with Punk while going through a place like this? I should've been able to catch up with him by now," AJ said. "I just hope I can find him soon." But at the rate she was going, she was starting to have doubts in the fact that she might never catch up to Punk and just remain lost in this new world.

**AJ seems to be losing hope, but all is not lost. She should loosen up while she's in this new world if she wants any chance at trying to catch Punk or get back home. R & R please. =)**


	3. The Caterpillars

After departing from the Tweedles and walking past the caucus 'race' she had seen, AJ was starting to get tired again. She had sat down on one of the large mushrooms that was growing up on the side of the path she was on when she looked up at the sky and saw that it was a very pretty shade of purple, blue, pink, and white mixed together. She also happened to notice that there were clouds in odd shapes, such as hearts, cats, flowers, and stars. Another thing that she happened to notice was the fact that there seemed to be letters in different colors of smoke floating across the sky.

"Wow, that's odd," AJ said. "I've never seen smoke in different shapes before. I wonder where it's coming from."

Curiosity taking over her, AJ got up and continued on her trek down the path in the direction of where the smoky letters were coming from. She walked past more of the strange animals she had seen when she first entered this world, but instead of trying to stop and communicate with any of them, she kept going in the same direction she was headed.

"So weird. It's almost as if everything around me just grew feet higher than what I'm used to. Doesn't really help that I'm stuck at being, like, two or three inches tall. I wish I had another one of those cookies with me right now," AJ said, as she pushed aside what she was guessing to be blades of grass and several flowers. As she got closer to the source of where the letters were coming from, she kept hearing what she thought was the singing of two men.

_A, _

_ e i o u, _

_ u, _

_ u, _

_ o, _

_ a, _

_ u e i a, _

_ u..._

"Strange song. Who'd be singing a song about the vowels in a place like this?" AJ mused out loud, before bumping into a large mushroom. Looking up at the towering mushroom, AJ saw that standing on top of it were Justin Gabriel and Tyson Kidd, except they looked as though they had taken on the characteristics of caterpillars-they were both a shade of green-blue and had multiple arms and legs and antennae. And they were both noticeably smoking from something that looked like a small chimney.

Looking down to AJ standing there looking up at them, Justin looked down and asked "Whooo arrre yooou?"

"Justin, I mean, my name is AJ," AJ said.

"And what may I ask brings someone like you to a place like this?" Tyson asked.

"Well, I was following a friend of mine when he went through a door and the next thing I know, I'm bringing myself down to his size and now I've just been walking around in this weird place, wherever the hell it is," AJ said.

"If you must know, to ease your curiosity, you're in the glorious realm of Wonderland. Here everything is what it isn't and everything isn't what it is," Justin said.

"That sounds confusing. And everyone's OK with living in a freaky place like this?" AJ asked.

"What you call freaky, we call the usual," Tyson said.

"Certainly different from where I'm from. And to think, one minute I'm waiting for a meeting with my boss and the next I'm walking around in some place where stuff's alive and people are all nuts," AJ said.

"It seems as though you have something weighing on your mind. Care to talk about it?" Justin asked.

"Well, like I said, I was waiting outside of my boss's office for a meeting and now I'm just wondering if I'll ever get back in time for it," AJ said.

"Is this meeting important?" Tyson asked.

"You could say it is. I'm, well, I guess you could call it being an actress and the next role I have to play is having to date another guy. But the thing is I've been playing this role for months and, to be honest, I'm tired of it," AJ said in frustration.

"If you despise your roles that you have to play, then why not voice your dislike of what you have to do?" Justin asked.

"Because my boss intimidates me. I mean, he makes me feel like I'm so inferior," AJ said, dejectedly.

"Then you should work at trying not to be so intimidated. After all, you're only as much of a person as you think you are. And it appears to us, that you don't really seem like all that important of a person," Tyson said, taking a drag out of the hookah.

"Well, excuse the hell out of me for not seeming like I'm as high and mighty as you two would want me to be!" AJ shouted before she turned around and stormed away.

Looking down to see AJ leave, Justin smacked Tyson upside the head and said "Smooth move. You've gone and upset the poor dear. Say, you, AJ. Come back!"

Hearing Justin call after her, AJ didn't know whether she wanted to turn and go back to run the risk of getting intimidated by the caterpillars again or try to make her way back to the path to continue her search for Punk. So, going against what she really wanted to do, AJ went back to where the caterpillars were. Sitting on the mushroom in front of them, AJ looked at them with a questioning look in her eyes and on her face.

"You'll have to forgive my friend. He's a bit too vocal when it comes to voicing his opinions about certain matters," Justin said.

"It isn't my fault the girl couldn't handle what I had to say," Tyson said, earning another hit to the side of the head.

AJ laughed, causing the two to look at her, before turning back to take another drag from the hookah and Justin said "Keep your temper under control."

"Well, I wouldn't have to worry about trying to control anything if I could just get back to the way I was?" AJ said.

"Whyyy?" Tyson asked.

"Well, I really sick and tired of being the way I am right now. I mean, being, like, three inches tall has really gotten me in a bit of a bad mood, not to mention it's so awful, so I just want to get back to my usual height," AJ said.

"We both are exactly three inches tall! And it is a perfectly good height indeed! The nerve of this girl calling our heights awful and borderline wretched! The nerve indeed!" Justin and Tyson said, puffing furiously on their hookah, causing a purplish red cloud to start to swirl around them.

"Wait! You two misunderstood me! Please stop!" AJ yelled, blowing away the smoke that was surrounding Justin and Tyson, only to see, that there was nothing where they previously were aside from what looked like their skin and multiple pairs of shoes.

"Say, AJ. A little word of advice," Justin called down to AJ.

When AJ looked up to where she heard Justin's voice calling to her, she saw that Justin and Tyson had turned into butterflies, just not typical butterflies-both were wearing black skinny jeans, plaid shirts, and their wings were a rainbow of colors.

"One side makes you grow taller," Tyson called down.

"One side of what?" AJ asked.

"And the other side makes you grow shorter," Justin called down.

"The other side of what? What are you two talking about?" AJ asked.

"The mushroom, of course!" both men shouted, as they flew down to AJ's level before flying back up to the sky.

Bending down and breaking off a piece of mushroom from both sides, AJ said "Now, which piece should I try first? Eeny, meanie, minie, the left hand piece." Taking a bite and swallowing, AJ said "Stupid butterflies, I mean, Justin and Tyson. I can't believe they told me to eat something that'll help me grow and I'm still the same heiiii-" before she started to grow, shooting up through trees until her head was sticking out of a tree.

"Help, help! Someone help me! A serpent is trying to eat my eggs!" a bird cried as she flew around trying to collect her eggs from her nest.

"Serpent? I'm a woman, thank you very much! I'm just having a really weird growth spurt is all. Now to eat the other piece of mushroom," AJ said, before biting the piece of mushroom in her right hand. Taking a bite and swallowing, AJ immediately started to shrink, causing the bird sitting on top of her head to fall and, hurriedly grabbing her eggs, the bird flew away. Once AJ finished her shrinking, she landed on the same mushroom she had broken the pieces off of. "Wow! That was an awesome ride! But there's no time to think about it now. I think I've got this right, so if I don't bite the left hand piece, I'll probably go back to normal." This time, instead of biting the mushroom, she licked the left hand piece and immediately she shot up to her regular height. "Yes! I'm back to my regular height. Now to go back to looking for Punk." Throwing the pieces of mushroom she had to the side, she continued back on the path she was, hoping to find her Punk bunny soon before she got too lost in Wonderland.

**One by one, AJ's meeting all of the residents of Wonderland. She's one hell of a trip now. R & R please. =)**


	4. The Cheshire Cats

"I can't believe this. I just had to let my curiosity entice me into following Punk. Oh, who am I kidding? That probably wasn't even Punk. He was probably just another familiar stranger, just like Ted and Cody, the Tweedles, or Justin and Tyson, the Caterpillars. Why do I always do these things? At first, it was me actually mistaking Darren Young for John Cena, and now I'm in some crazy place, going around and running into people that look just like my friends. Maybe this is all a sign that I need to turn back. But if I do that, then I'll never find out where Bunny Punk was headed. OK, this is a proclamation I'm making right now: I will not turn back just because things are looking bleak. I will find out where he went and I will make him tell me about him," AJ said, as she stopped in her tracks on the path she was taking. "The only question is how in the name of everything sweet do I find him?"

Walking along, she looked down and saw a trail of footprints leading away from her, going in the direction she was headed. Taking this as a clue, she decided to follow the trail until she came to a tree at the center of four different paths that branched off in different directions. After seeing that the footprints had disappeared, AJ took a look up at the tree and saw that there were different planks of wood nailed into the tree.

"What a weird looking tree. And look at all of these things nailed into it. Are these the names of more people that make 'Wonderland' their home?" AJ asked.

While she had spent time taking a look at each sign, all around her leaves in the trees started to rustle around her and, as AJ paid attention to what was happening around her, she slowly started to make out what had sounded like two unknown, yet familiar, voices.

_"Look at all of the pretty flowers."_

_ "It'd be a shame if they were to fall in a petal-filled shower."_

_ "But then, that'd be a beautiful thing to see. After all, you're always complaining about how you never get to see anything that has beauty anymore."_

_ "Indeed it would be, but then again, after it ended, then things would slowly start to become a bore."_

_ "Oh, it's just so hard to please you. Why can't everything ever seem to make you happy?"_

_ "Because you know that I've got a low tolerance for the overly sweet and sappy."_

Trying to find the source of the voices while looking up in the trees above her, AJ was a bit caught off guard when, out of nowhere, she heard a voice to her right say "Looking for something?", causing AJ to turn around only to see no one there.

_"Such a wicked tease, you are. Up here," the other voice said._

Looking up in the tree, AJ saw that instead of two bodies there, she saw just two smiles floating in space.

"Wow, this is a bit strange," AJ said, cocking her head to the side.

_"Oops! Terribly sorry. Just a moment," _the voices said together, as slowly the two bodies started to materialize on the tree limb that AJ was staring at. As AJ saw these two beings start to reveal themselves, she saw that they looked just like her best friends, Alex and Kaitlyn, however, just like everyone else she had seen there, they didn't quite look like themselves-both of them had pairs of purple-and-pink cat ears on, a pink-and-purple tail, and purple-and-pink arm warmers, in addition to their own outfits: Alex was wearing a ribbon choker necklace, a purple-and-black striped turtleneck muscle shirt, a pair of short black shorts, pink-purple-and-black mid-thigh socks, and a pair of mid-calf pink-and-purple converses; Kaitlyn was wearing a pink-and-black striped sleeveless top, a black knee-length skirt, a pair of pink-and-black striped tights, and a pair of fuzzy pink-and-purple boots.

AJ was about to call out to the two by calling them by the names of her friends, but to avoid making mistakes like she had earlier, she instead said "You're both cat girls."

"Cheshire cat girls to be exact," Alex said.

"But we have our own names to avoid being mixed up by others," Kaitlyn said.

"Then what are your names? I'm curious to know," AJ said.

"Certainly. My name is Ches," Kaitlyn said.

"And my name is Shire," Alex said.

"Ches and Shire, eh? Not exactly the most original names, but I guess it makes since, seeing as how you both are Cheshire cat girls after all," AJ said laughing.

"Well, if our names are not very original, then what's your name?" Alex asked, jabbing her tail at AJ.

"My name's April, but my friends and my family all call me AJ," AJ said.

"AJ? That's pretty original for a girl to have as a name. Makes you sound so badass," Kaitlyn said.

Blushing, AJ looked down at the ground and kicked at the dirt, while saying "It's not even really like that. I mean, I like that everyone gave me such a unique nickname, but then again there are times where it makes me feel so out of place and not normal."

"Nothing wrong with not being normal. In fact, people that aren't normal are some of the most fun and happy people to be friends with," Alex said.

"So I've heard. And yet, I think I'm one of the most normal people back where I'm from," AJ said.

"You can't be all that normal with a name like AJ. No matter how much people deny it, there's something in everyone that's a bit strange about them," Kaitlyn said.

"You two don't quite seem to get it though," AJ said.

"And what exactly is it that we aren't getting? Do you want to talk about it?" Alex asked, as she hung from the tree by her tail.

"You see, I'm pretty much a not-so extraordinary person back where I come from," AJ said.

"By whose standards exactly?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Well, just about nearly everyone's, I guess. But not my friends. I never really have to do anything out there or crazy for my friends. I just have to be myself and they'll have no problems at all with me," AJ said.

"Then it sounds to me like you are in need of telling your naysayers that you are better than them. After all, life's too short when you're constantly worrying about what it is that others think or say about you," Alex said.

"Ha. You two make it sound like it's the easiest thing in the world to do," AJ said. Turning away from the two cat girls, she mumbled "Something was telling me not to try to find those voices. I've probably lost Punk to the words by now and here I am, talking to demented cats!"

"Oh, by the way. If you'd really like to know something crucial, he went that way," Alex said, pointing to her left.

Hearing this, AJ snapped her head up to look up at the Cheshire cats and said "Really? He did?"

"He did what?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Went that way, to the left," AJ said, pointing.

"Who did?" Alex asked.

"The black bunny!" AJ shouted, stomping her foot.

"What bunny?" the two said.

"But, wait, you just said-Gahh! Damnit!" AJ said.

"Another helpful bit of info. If I was looking for a bunny of any kind, I'd go ask the Mad Hatter in that direction," Kaitlyn said, pointing to the right.

"Thanks a lot for that-" "But just so you know, he's silly," Kaitlyn said, cutting AJ off.

"Or, she could always go ask the March Hare, who's in that direction," Alex said, pointing to the right, as well.

"That's a bit of a help-" "Of course, he's as silly as the Mad Hatter is," Alex said, cutting AJ off again.

"Then there are the Dormice with those two, but they're just as silly as the Hatter and the Hare," Kaitlyn said.

"Well, they won't be much help to me at all, now will they? I can't keep affording to go around silly people and crazy people," AJ said, stomping the ground again.

"Oh, my dear sweet AJ, you can't seem to help that. Most everyone here is either crazy or silly," Kaitlyn said.

"Or as some might call us, mad," Alex said, before bursting into a fit of laughter that Kaitlyn joined into.

After the two were over their laughing fit, Alex looked down and said "Not that you've noticed or anything, but we're not really there ourselves," as the two started to slowly disappear while they began to laugh again.

Once the duo of cat girls had disappeared, AJ said "In the words of the immortal Ron Simmons, DAMN! If people here are as crazy as those two, I guess I'd better watch what it is I say around them. Not like it'll help."


	5. The Mad Tea Party of Enlightenment

**If you loved my cats in the last chapter, this chapter will definitely be a treat. =)**

Walking away from the tree and following the direction of the signs that had 'Mad Hatter' and 'March Hare' written on them, AJ headed in the direction that was leading her away from the tree.

"I was really hoping I'd be able to make it out of here or at least find Punk, but now, I'll just be lucky if I can go back home before it's time for my meeting," AJ said, musing out loud.

Looking around at her surroundings, she started to notice that there weren't as many trees around, which gave her a better chance to look up at the sky and take a look at the clouds. She also started to notice that the sun was at a different position in the sky.

"My god! All of this aimless walking around is running up time I won't be able to get back!" AJ said.

She had managed to get through the forest and what she saw on the other side had her shocked and amazed.

"Wow. Look at that," AJ said in wonder.

What she saw up ahead was a little house surrounded by a fence. The house was roughly the size of a small cottage and was painted white, pink, yellow, light green, and sky blue. It was surrounded by many different kinds of plants and bushes in bloom with flowers. She also happened to notice that there was a lot of smoke and excited talking coming from behind the house.

"I'm really starting to wonder if everyone in this place are all on some kind of drugs. All of this smoke around here seriously cannot be a good thing for a person's mental functioning," AJ said, walking up to the fence.

Carefully pushing the fence open, AJ walked in to get to a better spot to hear what it was that the people were talking about.

"Such a wonderful day for a tea party!"

"I just hope you guys don't eat all of the sweets this time!"

"Too bad, so sad. Maybe that'll teach you to sleep through a party."

"You know I can't help it. I'm always feeling tired!"

"That's nobody's fault but your own for not going to sleep at night when we tell you to."

"Last I checked none of you were my parents, so I don't really feel the need to listen to you guys trying to act like parents to me."

"Well, maybe this time, you'll be able to stay up through this party and get something sweet to eat. After all, you know how we always seem to have a lot to eat."

Hearing all of this caused AJ to start laughing and soon after, all conversation stopped and all eyes were on her. Once AJ got a good look at everyone at the table, she laughed even harder: everyone there was a familiar stranger to her in the forms of her friends John Cena, Zack Ryder, Alicia Fox, and Layla. John was wearing a green and black top hat, a white polo shirt along with a green vest and a black tie, black pants, and a pair of boots. Zack was wearing a pair of brown and white rabbit ears, a white button-down polo along with an orange vest and a black bow tie, black pants and a pair of boots. Alicia was wearing a navy blue and white sailor dress, a pair of knee-high white stiletto boots, and a pair of brown mouse ears. Layla was wearing a light blue blouse, a dark blue mini-skirt, a pair of black stiletto boots, and a pair of black mouse ears.

Confused, the four people sitting at the table looked at AJ, wondering why it was that she was laughing.

"Dare I ask why it is that you seem to find something funny here?" John asked.

After catching her breath from her laughing fit, AJ said "I'm sorry. It's just, you guys happen to look an awful lot like some of my friends."

"Interesting story. Though I find it impossible to say that we look an awful lot like them seeing as how it's impossible for two people to look alike," John said.

"That's not entirely true. What about identical twins? They look like each other," Alicia piped up.

"Of course! I forgot all about pairs of identical twins! Thanks for that reminder," John said.

"No problem. After all, your head's not completely full," Alicia said grinning.

"Is now really the time to be talking about who has the most brains between us all? After all, we do have a guest. And might I add, a very cute guest at that," Zack said, winking at AJ.

Blushing, AJ looked down and started to fiddle around with the tablecloth. "I think you might be going a bit overboard when you say that," AJ said.

"I don't think so at all. I mean, you are very cute, so why wouldn't I say it?" Zack asked.

Before AJ could open her mouth to say anything, Layla cut in and said "I think you should stop right now. You know how most girls are. They've got a really weird time taking compliments like that."

"I know, but you that there's not much in the way of a filter on what I say. I say what I want when I want to," Zack said.

"Please ignore them. They usually don't argue this much," John said.

"It's fine. I'm used to having friends that can get into arguments like that from time to time so it's normal to me," AJ said, laughing.

"Then you sound like you play the role of mediator like i have to from time to time. So, tell me a little bit about yourself, little missy. What brings you to a place like this?" John asked.

"Well, I guess I could start by saying that my name is AJ. And, for lack of a better way to explain, I've just been wandering around this place for a while, running into all sorts of different people and things," AJ said.

"Haha. Sounds like you've been on one of the more crazy sides of Wonderland. Why would you just walk around aimlessly when you could always be somewhere, making friends with the other people?" John asked.

"I actually didn't plan on being here in the first place. You see, I was waiting outside of my boss's office for a meeting earlier today," AJ said.

"What was the meeting going to be about?" Alicia asked around a mouthful of cake.

"Let's just say that I work for a company of actors and I've been having to bounce around and do a bunch of different roles that I don't necessarily like," AJ said, reaching for a cup of tea and taking a sip.

"What were you two going to talk about during your meeting?" Zack asked.

"He was going to give me another role similar to the ones I've had before and I don't really want to face the prospect of having to do something like it again," AJ said, looking down.

"Why not just say that you don't want to keep playing roles like that? Why not let someone else take over with what you've been doing?" Zack asked, after swallowing the bite of cookie he took.

"Because, to put it this way, I'm one of the more popular women so they felt it would be best to use me," AJ said.

"Why not just say that you want to pass on what you have to do to another one of the women that you work with?" Alicia asked.

"My boss is a pretty scary person. I don't really have much of a backbone when it comes to telling people how it is that I really feel about something, so I've never really had guts enough to tell him," AJ said.

Yawning, Layla said "You should tell him about how his treatment of you really makes you feel. If he can't really take brutal honesty on how much you dislike his use of you, then maybe he should just forget about having you around. After all, a girl as nice as you shouldn't have to deal with the stress that comes with a dictator of a boss," before falling asleep.

Staring in wonder over what Layla had just said, AJ took time to mull over what it was that Layla had just said while she failed to notice that she and the other four were being joined by four others.

**Ahh, nothing like a good cliffhanger to keep you waiting for what's in store for the next chapter. =3 R & R please.**


	6. The Gang's All Here

**Now we get to pick up where we last left off. =)**

"How rude of you four to start the tea party without us!" a voice said.

"And with our new friend, too!" a second voice said.

Looking up to see who the voices belonged to, AJ was surprised to see that the group already present was being joined by both of the Tweedles, and, fluttering down from the sky, the Butterflies.

"We would've waited for you guys, but then everything would've gotten cold," John said.

"And that would've made us upset," Alicia said.

"Well, we would've been here faster if _someone_ didn't get lost," Ted said.

"You were the one that insisted on taking directions from the dodo. At least I didn't try to follow the gumdrop trail," Cody said.

"Enough with the senseless arguing you two!" Justin said, as he took a seat on top of the table, while Tyson took a cookie and started to eat it.

After sharing a look, the Tweedles forgave each other and hugged it out, causing AJ to giggle at the sight.

"So, we meet again, Ms. AJ," Ted said.

"I guess we do. What brings you two here?" AJ asked, taking a sip from her teacup.

"We always come here to visit the Hatter and everyone else. They're our best friends and we wanted to come to another one of their fun parties," Cody said.

"I see. I take it the Butterflies are friends with you guys too," AJ said, looking down at Justin and Tyson.

"Indeed we are. And might I say, it's about time that you two finally changed. What caused it to happen?" Ted asked.

"We were rudely called short by our new friend here," Justin said, gesturing towards AJ, which caused her to blush.

"Not to sound mean, but compared to everyone else here, you both are very short," Ted said.

Huffing, Justin went to eating a piece of cake while John, Zack, and Alicia laughed at the exchange between them all.

"And to think you seemed so skeptical about being here," Alicia said laughing.

"I still do. Not to sound mean, but I'm still not used to being in a world like this and being surrounded by really nice people," AJ said, looking down at her hands.

"Are there not nice people back where you come from?" John asked, pouring a cup of tea for Justin and Tyson.

"There are, it's just not as many as there are here. Mostly the nice people are my family members and a lot of my co-workers that have become like brothers and sisters to me," AJ said, smiling and blushing.

"Really? You must be very close to them if you see them all that way," John said.

"We are. In fact, me and two of the girls that are my closest friends are always doing silly stuff with each other. Not to mention, we're always there just to be able to help pick each other back up if we're in need of having a friend around," AJ said, smiling as she thought back over all of the fun times she would have with Alex and Kaitlyn.

"They sound like very good friends to have around. Maybe they could be the ones to help you with your dilemma. After all, friends don't let friends just struggle through problems they have to deal with," John said, giving AJ a warm smile before turning his attention back to the others.

Taking in what John just told her, AJ sat mulling over everything that the residents of Wonderland had told her as the tea party continued around her. She was still deep in thought when two other guests joined in the party.

_"Oh boy! Look at this!"_

_ "I see, I see! A tea party with all of our friends and our newest little buddy."_

Looking around to try to find where the voices were coming from, AJ knew that it was Ches and Shire, but she couldn't seem to spot them.

"Psst! AJ! Over here!" a voice excitedly whispered.

Following the direction of the voice, AJ soon saw that the Cheshire Cat girls had joined in.

"Ches! Shire! So nice of you both to join us!" Zack said happily.

"How could we not? It'd be poor manners to miss a party our friend was having," Kaitlyn said.

"It'd be even ruder if we left our special guys all alone," Alex said, skipping over to hug Cody.

Looking around, AJ slowly started to see that having all of her new Wonderland friends were acting and behaving a lot like her friends back home. There was something about this scene before that had her thinking back to the first time she ever really got the chance to meet most of her other friends.

* * *

_"Alex, where are you and Kaitlyn taking me?" AJ asked._

_ "I'm being a good friend and taking you both to meet all of my friends. It's not a large group, but we're close," Alex said._

_ "Wait. You sure it's a good thing to be introducing NXT rookies to actual roster members?" AJ asked, feeling a bit shy._

_ "Sure it is! After all, I'm an actual roster member and I'm friends with you two," Alex said, grinning._

_ "Well, obviously you are, but isn't it just because of a storyline?" AJ asked._

_ "Why would I act like you both are my friends when I think you both really rock? I've only known you both for a few short months now, but you two are closer friends to me than mostly anyone else on the roster," Alex said, smiling._

_ "She's right AJ. After all, it isn't often that you actually meet really awesome people that have no problem being around you, knowing about all of the odd quirks you have," Kaitlyn said._

_ Listening to what her best friends were telling her, AJ agreed and let Alex lead her and Kaitlyn to the catering area where she walked up to a group of the Superstars and Divas. "Hey guys!" Alex said._

_ "Alex, what's got you so happy today? Were you finally able to get the game you've been hunting months for?" John asked._

_ "Already being shipped to my house. I should be getting it in a few days. But that's not the reason why I'm here," Alex said, grinning._

_ "Then what's the reason?" John asked._

_ "OK, remember how Vince has me mentoring two of the Divas from NXT? Well, I've brought them here to introduce them to you and the others," Alex said._

_ "Awesome. Now, where are they?" John asked, looking around._

_ "What do you mean, John? They're right behind-"Alex was saying, before she turned around and saw that they weren't there. "Excuse me for a minute," Alex said, before dashing off to find AJ and Kaitlyn. After finally finding the two hiding behind one of the equipment crates, Alex stood looking at them with her hands on her hips. "For shame, you two."_

_ "What are you talking about, Alex?" Kaitlyn said, looking down at the ground._

_ "I thought you guys were so stoked about meeting my friends. Why'd you two run off?" Alex asked._

_ "We're just really nervous, AJ more than me. I mean, it's one thing to go to a simple autograph signing and meet these guys, it's another to actually be face to face with them and talking to them," Kaitlyn said, blushing._

_ "Kait, AJ, they aren't gonna hurt you two. And even if they did, they'd be without a hand or their whole arm by the time I'd finish with them," Alex said._

_ "You'd really do something like that for us?" AJ squeaked._

_ "Pffftt! Of course I would, AJ. I don't let any of my friends get hurt without me being there to help them. And even if I had to deal with some of my other friends just because they hurt you guys, then I'll just tell them why I did it. Now, will you two come out of hiding and come meet my friends?" Alex asked, pouting and flashing her puppy dog eyes._

_ Looking at Alex, Kaitlyn and AJ agreed and walked back with Alex to the group she had gone to before. "Hi again, everybody!" Alex said, smiling._

_ "Hi there, Alex!" everyone said, laughing._

_ "I'd like to introduce my new friends to everyone. Everyone, this is AJ and Kaitlyn. They're both two of the WWE's latest Diva finds. AJ, Kaitlyn, these are all my friends, John, Alicia, Layla, Zack, Ted, Cody, Kofi, R-Truth, Justin, Tyson, Natalya, Dylan, and last but not least Punk," Alex said, making all of the needed introductions._

_ "I can say on behalf of the two of us that it's so awesome and such an honor to get to meet all of you guys. It's not every day you get to meet people you only see on TV," Kaitlyn said laughing._

_ "It's nice to meet you both too. From what we've been seeing of you guys in the ring, you both have lots of talent. Not to mention, Alex has been training you both well," Punk said, smiling._

_ Blushing, Alex playfully socked Punk and said "You're just saying that Punky."_

_ Taking notice of the fact that AJ was looking down at the floor as everyone else was talking, Zack nudged her and asked "Hey, you okay there little bit?"_

_ Jumping at the sound of Zack's voice, AJ bashfully said "Not so much."_

_ "Do you feel like talking about it?" Zack asked._

_ "It's not so much there was something bad to happen to me. It's just that I've got really bad shyness and being around so many people is making it kick in like mad," AJ said blushing, as she played with the bracelets on her left wrist._

_ "You shouldn't have to be so shy with us. After all, there's nothing about us that's scary in any way, shape, or form," Zack said, putting a hand on AJ's shoulder._

_ Looking up to meet Zack's gaze, she saw Punk walking over to sit with them._

_ "Man, Zack. I knew you were a real catch, but trying to hit on a poor thing like AJ when she's got a deer-in-the-headlights look right now? That's just low, man," Punk said laughing._

_ "I'm just doing my job as a concerned friend to help open her up. It isn't often that we actually come across shy people here. Well, Alex is, but she's an exception to that since she's still a kid," Zack said._

_ "Hows about I help you out? Why don't you go chat with Alex, Kaitlyn, and the others and I'll stay here and work at getting AJ to open up?" Punk said._

_ "Sure thing. Maybe I can woo Kaitlyn with my funny charms," Zack said, moving to go join the others._

_ Laughing at Zack as he left, Punk turned to look at AJ and said "That Zack. He's such a funny guy, isn't he?"_

_ Casting a sideways look at Punk, AJ said "I guess he is."_

_ "I'll bet you don't even remember me, do you, AJ?" Punk asked._

_ "Of course I do. You were one of the commentators on NXT. How could I even forget about you? Next to Naomi, you were the only other person that would shut Michael Cole's mouth when he started griping about having to watch me and the other girls do our challenges and have our matches," AJ said._

_ "Correct you are. Now, I've heard that you are quite the geek," Punk said._

_ "Well, duh. Everyone's known that about me since NXT," AJ said, rolling her eyes._

_ "So, you wouldn't mind it at all if I said that Superman is the best superhero in the history of comic books and mankind?" Punk said, smirking._

_ Leaping up from her seat beside Punk, AJ said "Are you freakin' kidding me? How could you even say that when it comes to superheroes? Everyone knows that Batman is _so _much more of a hero than Superman is! After all, it's next to impossible to take down the Big S unless you've got your own store of kryptonite somewhere. At least with Batman, you don't have to get your weapon of choice from all the way in outer space."_

_ "So if you were to put Batman and Superman in a death match against each other, who would win?" Punk asked, standing up._

_ "Well, when you say death match, I guess it'd be safe to gamble on the side of the Man of Steel. But that doesn't mean a thing. Batman is a way better hero just because of the fact that he's got better weapons and he doesn't have to rely on special powers like all of the other heroes do," AJ huffed, crossing her arms across her chest._

_ "If you say so. Now, do you think we should move onto another topic of discussion?" Punk asked, smiling._

_ "Sure thing. What would you like to talk about?" AJ said, smiling back._

_ As Alex and the others looked on as AJ and Punk chatted about more of the things that they shared interests in, Alex couldn't help but laugh._

_ "I just knew that you guys would love meeting AJ and Kaitlyn," Alex said, grinning._

_ "How could we not? They're both really awesome, but now the hard part is going to be tearing AJ and Punk away from each other," John said, laughing as everyone kept going with their conversations._

* * *

AJ hadn't even realized that she was really deep in thought until she heard John frantically asking for the time.

"Does anyone happen to know what the time is?" John asked around.

Hearing a throat clear behind her, AJ spun around to see that it was the very person she had been looking for.

"Umm, if any of you had watches or clocks on hand, you all would know that each and every one of you is late for the big meeting," Punk said, tapping his watch.

"The big meeting! Everyone, we forgot about the big meeting!" John said, jumping to his feet.

"Oh no, we can't be late! We'll surely lose our heads if we're late!" Alicia said, following John's lead.

One by one, everyone hurried to get to their feet and gather at the fence. Confused, AJ looked around and before everyone was gone, she called out to them.

"Hey guys. Mind filling me in on what this big meeting is all about?" AJ asked.

Stopping to look back at AJ, Alicia said "We all have to report to the execution of our friend, the Jester. Our Queen doesn't seem to care at all that he's funny, even though she hired him to act as her own personal entertainment. So, he's having a public execution that we all have to attend."

"That's so awful. Would it be fine if I tagged along?" AJ asked.

"Sure. Maybe if there are enough of us there, we can try to help save the Jester," Zack said.

Leaping up from her seat and dashing to join the others, AJ suddenly couldn't help but let her curiosity take over her as she thought ahead to seeing the Queen of Wonderland and having to witness an execution. All she kept thinking about were plans to try to stop things before a kind person had to needlessly die.

**As always, don't forget to R & R. =)**


	7. Break Down To Be Built Up Stronger

**Finally! After what felt like forever (and an unintentional hiatus on this), I finally got to work on another update for this story. I know I left off on a huge cliffhanger, but this chapter is helping to build more onto the major climax that I have in store for this story. Anyways, on to the story. =)**

Leaving the cottage, AJ took her place walking with her Wonderland friends. In a place like this, there was rarely anything that happened that merited the attention or need for a gathering of the residents, so news of the Jester's execution was something that piqued the interest of everybody. But since AJ wasn't from this world, she had no clue who the Jester was. As the group made their way through the forest for the castle and the site of the Jester's execution, AJ decided to ask about this person that seemed to be such a big deal to her friends.

"Umm, if you don't mind me asking, could you guys maybe tell me a little bit of information about your friend?" AJ asked.

The brief period of silence that followed after she asked her first question gained a measure of uncomfortable silence from her friends until she decided to try to apologize for asking the question.

"I'm sorry. I didn't really realize that it'd be a touchy subject to talk about this person. I guess it just comes from how things are back where I come from," AJ said, hanging her head.

"It's OK. No need to feel bad about wanting to talk about our friend and find out information about him," John said, reassuringly.

"I'm still sorry. It's just, I'm not from these parts and there are still so many things that I'm curious about and want to know more about," AJ said.

"If you're really curious, I could tell you all you want to know," John said.

"Are you really OK with telling me?" AJ asked.

"Absolutely. After all, since you're our friend, you at least have a right to know. You see, our friend is what you would call a bit of an unconditional joker at times. He was mostly always the one person that never failed to help cheer people up and make us all laugh. Well, one day, things were going the way they typically do. We were all gathered for a tea party when all of a sudden, the high members of the court of the Queen and King that are supposed to be our 'rulers' appeared and tried to stop our party," John said, a look of bitterness slightly crossing his face.

"Why did you say 'rulers' the way you did? Is there something about them that you don't really like?" AJ asked.

"That'd be the understatement of a lifetime to say it that way. They pretty much rub everyone the wrong way," Zack piped up.

"What is it about them that seems to be such a bad thing?" AJ asked.

"Well, for one thing, they seem to pretty much have a general dislike of most of the fun things we do," John said.

"Another thing is that they always seem to find ways to try punishing us for things we didn't do," Alicia said.

"Anyways, back to my story. Our party got interrupted by several of the head knights that guard the King and Queen from any kind of harm. When we asked what was wrong, the knight leading the group told us that the Jester was to report to the court of their highnesses to be executed. Not fully understanding why he was to be executed, I asked why he was going to be executed. And in response, I was told that he simply did not fulfill his duties as royal entertainment," John said.

"That's terrible," AJ said, shock lacing her voice.

"Which is why it seems like all of us are determined to try to save him," John said, as the group continued forward.

As AJ let this new information sink in, she honestly felt like she had a better image of who exactly this mystery person was. However, before she could ask anymore of the questions that were swimming in her brain, the sound of trumpet fanfare ripped her out of her own private thoughts. Looking to see where the fanfare was coming from, AJ looked up to see that the group had all but stopped several feet away from a large, white castle that was surrounded by high bushes, which ended with what looked like a heart marking the entryway.

"Whoa. Look at the size of that castle and those bushes," AJ said in wonder.

"Indeed. That is the castle of the King and Queen of Wonderland," Ted said.

"Or as many of us like to call it, the fortress of no return," Cody said, a grim look crossing his face.

"And just think. Our friend is in there, awaiting his unfair execution," Alicia said.

Hearing the tones of the voices of her friends, AJ suddenly started to feel doubtful. She didn't exactly know how she'd deal with it if the mission they wanted to carry out would fail. Also, she couldn't help but pay notice to the way John looked when he first mentioned the King and Queen and the grim tone that laced Cody's voice. Before AJ could try to voice what was really on her mind about all of this, she felt nudging in her sides followed by two arms wrapping around her shoulders. Looking to both of her sides, AJ saw that it was Alex and Kaitlyn.

"Feeling scared?" Alex said.

"The tension is practically rolling off of you," Kaitlyn said.

"I don't really know. Yes, I guess. I've never been to a place like this before and I don't know what I'm getting myself into. I know I said I would help you guys try to speak and save your friend, but I don't have a clue about what to do," AJ said, defeat starting to creep into her voice.

"You don't have to worry about a thing," Alex said.

"We'll take care of everything," Kaitlyn said.

"And how exactly do you guys think you'll be able to handle trying to save someone that could be guarded heavily?" AJ asked, confused.

With similar smiles starting to creep across Alex and Kaitlyn's faces, the two said "You'll see what we mean soon enough."

Before having time to think about what the two meant, AJ was being hurried forward through the high gates of the castle. The fanfare grew louder with each step that the group took towards the center of the castle grounds. As AJ looked around, she was in awe of what she was seeing. All around her were various stone sculptures, fountains, small ponds, and bushes with red roses in full bloom. These were sights that AJ had never had the privilege of seeing up close and personally, so her curiosity got the better of her and she had wandered over to one of the rose bushes. Looking around, AJ carefully leaned in and pulled a rose from the bush. As she examined the rose in her hand, she was in awe of its natural beauty. However, with each careful lookover she gave the rose, AJ soon started to notice that something was entirely right with the rose.

"Hey, the petals on this rose feel like they've been painted on. Plus, it reeks of fresh paint," AJ said, wrinkling her nose.

"It was more than likely an oversight by the royal gardeners. I'd imagine by now their highnesses have done something to the person responsible for painting these roses red," John said, taking a look at the rose himself.

"Done something like what?" AJ asked hesitantly.

"More than likely, they've been executed themselves," John said, his voice taking on the same grim tone AJ heard in it earlier.

"The people that rule this world would really kill innocent people for a slight oversight like this?" AJ asked.

"Of course they would. Things have to be done their way. For you see, all ways are the King and Queen's ways," Ted and Cody said.

This recent bit of information had AJ feeling even more frightened to try to go forward with her earlier plan to help rescue the Jester. She had almost let the tears that were starting to form in her eyes roll down her face before she felt two pairs of arms wrap around her. Feeling this new warmth, AJ fell to her knees and let all of the tears that had been slowly building up inside of her fall as she let out all of her sobs. At this very moment, AJ let out all of her frustrations over everything that had been happening to her, whether it was her inability to voice her opinions on how her storylines were going back in her own world or the fact that she was in some strange new world trying to help a group of familiar strangers save some person she knew next to nothing about. As she progressively calmed down from her crying fit, which smoothed out into hiccups, AJ wiped her face and proceeded to stand. Looking up, she saw that one of the people that was holding her was Kaitlyn, so she could only guess that the other pair of arms belonged to Alex.

"Thanks for that, you two. I'm sorry you had to see me break down like that," AJ said.

"No need to worry about that," Kaitlyn said.

"We just thought you would've needed shoulders to cry on, so that's what we gave you," Alex said.

"And I appreciate that. I actually feel a bit better after that," AJ said, a small smile starting to spread across her face.

"As long as you're feeling better, that's all that matters," John said, resting a hand on top of AJ's head.

Before AJ could respond to this latest gesture on John's behalf, the sound of Punk clearing his throat brought all of the group's attention to him.

"This all looks very touching and everything, but if you guys want to do anything about trying to stop the Jester from getting killed, then I suggest that we get a move on," Punk said.

Looking down at AJ, John asked "You still feel up to doing this?"

AJ honestly didn't know how to answer this question. There was a part of her that didn't feel like trying to go through the strain of going forward, but at the same time, there was a part of her that kept saying to push onward and see the rest of her journey to its end. Taking a breath and fully rising to her feet, AJ said "Yes, yes I do. Let's all go save your friend before it's too late."


End file.
